This disclosure relates in general to auxiliary bearing systems, and in particular to an auxiliary bearing system for a magnetically supported rotor system. In turbomachine systems, if a primary bearing (such as a magnetic bearing) fails, the shaft of the turbomachine will generally fall or drop onto the adjacent mechanical surfaces. This drop often causes substantial damage to the shaft and/or the surrounding components. In turbomachine systems that include an auxiliary bearing, the shaft may drop onto the auxiliary bearing without damaging the shaft or the surrounding components.
When the rotating shaft drops, the auxiliary bearing system is subject to extreme accelerations which generate heat that limits the life of the auxiliary bearing system. To reduce the generated heat, lubrication is provided to the auxiliary bearing system. However, conventional lubrication systems do not provide adequate lubrication to the auxiliary bearing systems within a short time span. Therefore, what is needed is a system or configuration that overcomes these problems.